Don't Take the Girl
by AnotherSarahwith639
Summary: HongIce based off of the song "Don't Take the Girl" by Tim McGraw. Each chapter is an interpretation of each verse.
1. Chapter 1

Leon thought it was a girl at first, when that boy with shining white hair ran down the hill with what...well...looked like a dress, billowed back behind him. He should've known better than to think it was a girl, after all he'd had his fair share of chinese clothes that were similar to dresses, to the English that is. In China, his clothes were normal for men to wear, but after moving to England with his father, Arthur, he learned quick that the so called 'normal' wasn't the same. He also learned that London was not Beijing. Walking outside with a different complexion, slanted eyes and a "funny" accent didn't get too far for you. Especially in school...but that was a different story, for when it wasn't summer, the lake wasn't right in front of him and his father, for the first time in a long time, wasn't spending time with him.  
Although...spending time with Arthur was a special time. Leon went fishing often with Arthur since he moved with him, but not always alone. Usually, Alfred, his American stepbrother or Matthew, his French-Canadian step brother were the center of attention in their fishing trips. Leon felt comfortable without them around...A chance to be his son that...he might appreciate...rather than the one who can't fit in, anywhere.

"Leon…" Arthur sighed. He knelt down to the Chinese boy's height, taking the fishing pole and situating it in the other's hands, as he had done every few minutes.  
"Hold it this way...Don't you understand? How old are you? Your brother's understand, love."  
There he goes again…Leon's eyes hit the floor when he nodded. His small fingers gripped around the reel. It was tough learning things he'd never done before.  
"Y-yes Daddy…"  
"Dad," Arthur corrected.  
"Dad…Al and Mattie call you Daddy...Why c-can't I?" Leon mumbled. There were a number of things he couldn't do, that Alfred and Matthew were allowed to do. Arthur never corrected them. Or, at least not around him.  
Arthur didn't respond to Leon's question. Instead he threw out his line, eyes focused on the string. Leon tried to do the same. His brown orbs watched the string fly out into the water, hook disappearing under the surface. Fishing required time...effort...and patience, something Leon knew he lacked. It took more time to pay attention to his line, than it did to watch the butterfly pass by…  
...Or to notice a little kid running down a hill towards them with a fishing pole. The same one, he thought was a girl.

"Wait - w-" By the time the 'girl' reached them, she was out of breath. Her cheeks were ablaze and hot as fire when Leon touched them. She looked about 8 years old, with snow white hair and amethyst eyes.  
"Sorry," Arthur cut in, reeling in his line. "There seems to be no fish out today, so we're heading out, love. You'll have to go back home too."

Home? Already? Leon blinked. They'd only just seen her, why do they have to leave now?  
Leon wasn't ready to just leave her there, or lose this opportunity for a new friend.

"My name's Leon…" He said, then he mumbled. "Or Xiang...But Dadd- Dad calls me Leon."  
Once the other child caught it's breath, it spoke. "I'm Emil."  
Emil? Emil...Boy, definitely a boy. Just, another one like Feliks maybe…? Feliks was from Poland and wore...different clothes at school, like skirts, princess crowns, and sometimes his mom's makeup. Leon didn't mind that, after all, he was different too. Apparently so was this boy…Which meant… he wouldn't run away or tease him either right?  
"Ni-ha-..." Leon coughed to stop himself. "Ni-hao" was what bad boy's said to scare other kids. "Hello" was the proper way to greet people.  
"Hello."  
Emil nodded in 'hello'. Leon blinked. No teasing...No laughing… No giving him strange looks other than the sudden change in words. He liked this quiet boy already.

Arthur grabbed Leon's arm, causing the other to jump. Sudden grabbing, on himself, was rare, unless it was those bullies tugging on his clothes or Matthew pulling him away from said bullies.  
"We're leaving…" He stood tall in his order. The broken look on Emil's face sunk into Leon's mind while they parted, foot by foot. Though it seemed to have done the same to Arthur, because he stopped, returned, and took Emil by the arm to bring him along with. A father wasn't his specialty, according to Leon, but he sure was a gentleman and leaving a little boy alone by a lake was against his honour in that sense.  
"Where do you live…?" Leon listened in silence. He wanted to hear the boy's answer. If he lived nearby, there might be a chance to play together sometime.  
"That way…" Emil's head tilted left, opposite the way they were headed. Leon knew the paths from his house like the back of his hand, and their house was to the right. His anticipation, excitement...was too high and he fell hard in disappointment.

"I'll take you there, but I don't want to see you wandering alone again, you hear love?" Arthur pushed Leon towards their small house.  
Walls around the neighbourhood houses were brick, just like theirs. It had red window ledges and white curtains on the inside, and a garden in the back with pathways laced by flowers Leon had only ever seen in England. They smelled nice too and he picked them for Arthur every Father's Day, even though...a shout or two came after; hugs were last.  
Though the memories of the house were short and new, Leon didn't mind them. There were days he and Matthew would play ball outside while Alfred was out at football practice. They'd dress up for holidays and dance on the bed while Arthur went out shopping for gifts...Sure...some things he liked in his so far, short lived life in England.  
Being pushed there, while Arthur walked away with the new boy, potential friend, in hand, possibly to never return with him again though… was a memory left unneeded.

"Dad! Wait!" In the most frantic voice he could manage, Leon shouted out to his father. He pleaded the wind would carry his voice. It worked when it was his mother, it had to for him to...please.  
"Leon…" Exasperated, Arthur turned to his calling son. Leon smiled, running over. This was his last chance, his only chance.  
"Please don't take him away...Don't take him away. Take anyone else away, t-take my duckies...m-my panda…" Leon felt the tears leave his chin. "T-take anything...Just n-not him please…"

Before that moment, Emil had no memory of someone begging for him to stay. His father begged his mother, his mother begged his father...but no one for him. He let a small smile slip on his lips.  
A friend… that was a nice thought. His first, real friend. That's what Leon, or, Xiang, would be, he hoped.


	2. Chapter 2

10 Years Down the Road…

Xiang was eighteen. He'd driven his red, convertible Mustang for a good 3 months since he bought it with the money saved up from working at the diner every evening. It brought his savings down to about $10.00…He conveniently forgot about the debt of those credit cards too.  
But it was all worth it… just to see Emil's silvery hair fly back while the wind blew it south. He would watch the other's eyes close, mouth curved into that rare smile. He knew that smile was meant for him, that he'd be the single person to witness it. If only he didn't have both hands on the wheel, he'd take a picture and capture it.

Though on their date, Xiang decided against the car. On occasion, a nice walk seemed worth the tight feeling in his chest after a good half an hour. Asthma was a…There were many curses he could describe the condition to be for both himself and Emil, though he'd found himself to ignore it. Nature distracted him nowadays… leaves rustling in his ears beside the howling wind while the daytime light took its leave...all the sensations and colours around him captivated him in a different way than he could ever imagine. Emil taught him that. Before, he'd been engrossed with his electronics, trouble-making casino sneak in's, and pornographic sketches that drove Yao insane (if he wasn't already). Those days weren't entirely behind him. They caught up every so often, like Emil did when he met him in the park in front of the old bench.

"Hey Em," Xiang pocketed his phone. Feliks' numerous advice texts would have to wait.  
"Hey…" Dressed in an autumn sweater with billowing jeans and boots, Emil waved. He let a small smile break through his lips, and his eyes. Xiang admired the sparkling purple gems for a moment. Then reality pulled him back, with reddened cheeks.  
"So like, ready?"  
Nodding, Emil took Xiang's hand. Together they walked through the park, across the streets and through the city where the lights brightened their faces. Cars lined up behind traffic lights. People held cell phones to their ears and shopping bags on each arm or wore thick coats with fur around the collar. Busy busy busy...Xiang loved the city, everything about it.  
Other than the fully clothed men whom dressed in black and held people at gunpoint. And that's what happened to a wandering couple, minding their own business, laughing and loving…

The man was covered head to toe in black clothes. His face hid beneath a ski-mask that revealed burning eyes, hungry for power...or rather fear? Xiang couldn't tell, not when he was panicking on the inside that this man had a firm grip on Emil's arm and a gun pressed into the white locks of his hair. Years of Kung Fu training vanished in an instant from Xiang's mind. His smart-ass mouth ran dry. And his eyes, drew small, piercing the air they glared through.  
"Leave him alone…" He said. Clenching his fists, he clicked his tongue to his teeth when the man pushed the gun further on Emil's head.  
"Not enough...I need money."  
"You want my money…?" Out of his pockets, Xiang pulled out his earnings from last nights dinner rush at the diner. Every last penny he'd made on tips, and on his own, sat in his hands to give. "Take it, take it but put him down."  
"X-xiang I-" Emil was stopped by a gasp when he was slammed against the side of the nearest building. The man eyed the money before returning his panicked eyes to Xiang.  
"More...I need more…A-and I'll give him back."  
"How much more…?" Xiang already began emptying his pockets of his wallet filled with anything else that read 'money'. He noticed the watch on his wrist, and slid that off into his hand as well. Was there much more…? There was. In his jacket he kept the keys to his car. Or he did, until he offered them to the stranger.  
"Please...take it all, just...don't take him."


End file.
